South West draft hopefuls including Brady Hough to get their moment on grand final stage at Optus Stadium

Brady Hough’s rise from country footy to the brink of an AFL list will now see him show his wares on the biggest day in WA football history. Hough is set to be part of the State under-19s team to face South Australia at Optus Stadium, just hours before Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs meet in Perth’s historic first AFL grand final on Saturday. The former Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault Lion, who revealed this month he has been courted by a number of AFL clubs, including the West Coast Eagles, shot into draft calculations with a stellar season at Peel Thunder. He starred for the State side in their National Championship opener against the Croweaters, playing mostly forward and kicking two goals in the win at Mineral Resources Park. Travel restrictions in Victoria and NSW now mean the two sides will meet again, with the AFL taking the chance to showcase its young talent on the big stage. After a full season of senior footy with the Lions last year, Hough moved to Peel Thunder where he starred as a livewire forward who could also roll up in midfield. In the Thunder’s last home and away game, he made his league debut for the club and earned himself an invite to next month’s draft combine. For three other South West products, a defeat in Saturday’s colts semifinal with East Perth has cleared the way for them to also run out at Optus Stadium. Jye Amiss and James Tunstill both featured in East Perth’s loss to East Fremantle at the weekend, while Margaret River’s Kade Dittmar would need to return from a concussion that ruled him out of the colts final to run out on Saturday.